Consumer Information

Wheat, a cereal grass of the genus Triticum (family Poaceae) and its edible grain, is one of the oldest and most important of the cereal crops.

Although most wheat is grown for human food, and about 10 percent is retained for seed, small quantities are used by industry for production of starch, paste, malt, dextrose, gluten, alcohol, and other products.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize that grains – particularly whole grains – are a valued and important step toward healthy living. Federal guidelines encourage us to “get half from whole,” by consuming half of our daily grain intake in the form of whole grain foods. Whole grain foods are made with flour that contains all three parts of the kernel: the bran, germ and endosperm.

Research shows whole grain foods are associated with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, and may help with better weight control. Despite these well-documented health benefits, the average American eats less than 1 ounce of whole grains per day.

Enriched grains are also an important part of a balanced diet. White flour milled from the endosperm of the wheat kernel is used to make white bread. Semolina milled from the endosperm of the durum kernel is used to make traditional pasta. In the United States, these products are almost always enriched with iron and the B-vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. Enriched grain foods like white bread have twice the folic acid of whole wheat. Folic acid helps moms give birth to healthy babies and has also been linked with improving heart health, enhancing memory, and helping to prevent childhood leukemia.

It is one of the most important ingredients in home baking, if not the most important. Its origins go back to the beginnings of civilization. How can so many different types of flour come from just this one grain of wheat?

The Wheat Foods Council wants to help clear up the confusion and set the record straight for sound nutrition science on losing weight – and keeping it off – in combination with ways to eat healthfully. We’re launching our “Busting Fad Diets” Campaign, just in time for the holidays and New Year’s health resolutions.

When talking to people about the foods they should eat or the weight-loss diets they may be following, we see that there is a lot of confusion. Today, this food is in; tomorrow it is out. One day something is a “super food;” the next, it is a health risk. Our Fad Diets: Busting the Myths tool kit has lots of great weight management resources including recipes and more.

ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children.

A look at the claims and facts surrounding gluten from the Wheat Foods Council.

The Home Baking Association (HBA) mission of “growing the practice of home baking” could not be more timely due to economic conditions and other societal changes. The HBA web site is a valuable resource for educators, parents, community service volunteers, scratch-bakers and anyone else interested in baking.

Here you will find recipes, activities, lesson plans and other valuable resources that help you at home in the kitchen, or in the classroom. Click on the topics below to see links in each category.

The domestic market is critical to South Dakota wheat growers. Because of its high quality bread making characteristics, the majority of wheat grown in South Dakota is consumed domestically. The domestic market is by far the largest and most reliable market.

Membership in the Wheat Foods Council (WFC) gives South Dakota growers the ability to utilize limited funds effectively by pooling resources with other state wheat commission and industry partners. The WFC targets the media, and health, nutrition and fitness leaders to multiply our message.

The Wheat Foods Council brings a variety of organizations together to focus on a common goal. Competing in today’s marketplace is challenging, however, with the support of growers through the South Dakota Wheat Commission, the Wheat Foods Council strengthens grain-foods consumption in the United States.